Pope Francis will tomorrow (Friday) officially receive an invitation from Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan to visit the diocese.
A campaign is ongoing and has been for several months to get the Pope to stop off in Co Clare and in particular at Inis Cealtra on Lough Derg which is also known as Holy Island.
As part of this, all sixty seven pupils in Mountshannon N.S. have written a postcard each inviting Pope Francis to visit the East Clare attraction and the school. Tourism promoter, Eoin O’Hagan provided glossy photo postcards of Inis Cealtra for the students to send off. Principal of the school, Jim Collins was more than happy for the boys and girls to get involved in the campaign to bring the Pope to Clare.
O’Hagan told The Clare Herald, “Some of these postcards will arrive in the Vatican this week ahead of the meeting with Pope Francis. These will strengthen the case for a Papal Visit to East Clare in August 2018”.
It has previously been confirmed that the Pope will be in Ireland next summer for The World Family Meeting. Eoin wants to see Clare included on the two hundred and sixty sixth Pope’s list of destinations. “We can only hope that Inis Cealtra will be included in the itinerary and that this holy place will become, subsequently, a destination in the Sacred Centre of Ireland, that Pilgrims from all over the World will want to visit”.
All Irish bishops will meet the Pope tomorrow morning as part of their ten-day Ad Limina.